One trick I've used is when a shop goes up fairly high, I schedule it for as far out as possible. Thereby "advertising" to other shoppers that the price can go that high.

Also, I'm not greedy, I don't always take the high shop, I let someone else take it and experience the "high" dollar shop. If all the shoppers in my area get used to that, everyone will wait.

Of course it helps that we have a makeshift mystery shopper's "union", where we share tricks and promise not to take the low/no pay shops.

topaz74 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> I agree, a $5 and $8 shop here and there can add
> to a trip. In fact, I would take their shops as
> "fillers" on other routes. However, when they
> drop to $3.00 a shop, they are worthless even as
> fillers. So far no one in my area has taken these
> shops. Wait, I lie, I have seen these shops
> taken, then they reappear immediately because they
> are flaked on.

Imagine that.

This post was in response to HReid's ridiculous sniper rant. He has been deactivated and had his posts removed. As such, I deleted it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/15/2010 08:29AM by dee shops.

Mert Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> topaz74 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > I agree, a $5 and $8 shop here and there can
> add
> > to a trip. In fact, I would take their shops
> as
> > "fillers" on other routes. However, when they
> > drop to $3.00 a shop, they are worthless even
> as
> > fillers. So far no one in my area has taken
> these
> > shops. Wait, I lie, I have seen these shops
> > taken, then they reappear immediately because
> they
> > are flaked on.
>
> Imagine that.


Sounds about right. What amazes me is some mangled pizza shops for March are already taken at $4.00! March, I mean come on. So whatever is driving these people, it must be powerful. I'll wait.

Maybe the free pizza?

Its not smart to eat cold pizza that has been further mangled with a break a way knife from the Dollar Store. Most of these knives are made in china. The blades are processed with an unsanitary oil that has gotten some sick...

The pizza shops are at $4.00 now?

Oh well, still starting at $4.00 more than another company has them listed for.

I read elsewhere that they now have some gas shops that pay NOTHING. Does anyone know if this is true or this a typo? If the former, they have now sunk to new levels of audacity.

What's next -"Make us an offer. Whoever will pay *us* the most can do the job?"

I have not seen any gas shops paying nothing, but I can't say for sure they do not exist.

I have to ask though, there are several companies that don't pay commission, just reimbursement. IF that was the case here, how is it new levels of audacity?

I'm not saying that $3 for their current gas shops is not cheap, it is. But I see so much criticism of this company and their low fees when so many others pay an equal amount or even less.

If they are only reimbursing $1, paying nothing, and requesting even a short report w/o any photo's, that would be new levels of audacity. Look, you manage to get good fees from them by holding out in your market. However, wouldn't you be happier if they just paid fees that are FAIR to begin with?

I'm not saying their fees don't start out low, I'm just saying that a group here seem to have issues with anything this company does.

It does seem to be a company we love to hate, or vice versa. But, I can't think of another company with as many fees $5 or less, along with the ridiculous increases of mere pennies. I haven't seen gas shops that pay nothing. Surely the reimbursement is more than $1.

I rarely shop for them because they do not pay what I expect to make for my services. I don't have issues with "anything this company does," but I do have issues with their willingness to keep going lower and lower on their pay scale. Whether you agree or not, in my opinion the CoRI's and the MFI's driving rates lower and lower for shoppers at their firms spreads to other companies, as these often fairer and better to work for companies have to compete for clients. I don;t have any grudges against CoRI. But I don't have any love for them, either, and I totally disagree with how they disrespect the worth of shoppers with these kind of pay scales.

I actually have an issue with them right now. They completely discounted my tip on the gourmet burger shop and just paid me for the initial check on the dine in shop.

I only know of one other company that will not cover tips on dine-in shops and they are very up-front about it (It's all over the instructions and in the shop description). My total was still under the max reimbursement.

Dee, did you get your tip covered, or see any info about it not being reimbursed?

Pretty cheap move for a reimbursement only shop.

dee shops Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I rarely shop for them because they do not pay
> what I expect to make for my services. I don't
> have issues with "anything this company does," but
> I do have issues with their willingness to keep
> going lower and lower on their pay scale. Whether
> you agree or not, in my opinion the CoRI's and the
> MFI's driving rates lower and lower for shoppers
> at their firms spreads to other companies, as
> these often fairer and better to work for
> companies have to compete for clients. I don;t
> have any grudges against CoRI. But I don't have
> any love for them, either, and I totally disagree
> with how they disrespect the worth of shoppers
> with these kind of pay scales.


Shoppers disrepect themselves by accepting these low paying jobs, knowing that they will go up eventually.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/16/2010 07:36AM by Emdisco.

True, Emdisco. I don't disagree. But why should they have to start at slave wages? Why not put a fair price to begin with. Why take advantage of the desperation of people just trying to eat or pay rent?

SteveSoCal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I actually have an issue with them right now.
> They completely discounted my tip on the gourmet
> burger shop and just paid me for the initial check
> on the dine in shop.
>
> I only know of one other company that will not
> cover tips on dine-in shops and they are very
> up-front about it (It's all over the instructions
> and in the shop description). My total was still
> under the max reimbursement.
>
> Dee, did you get your tip covered, or see any info
> about it not being reimbursed?
>
> Pretty cheap move for a reimbursement only shop.


The first one I did was a take out. I did not tip, but that was due to issues I had getting the order. I am doing a dine in this next week. On the first one, everything went smooth except payment-they contacted me that they could not pay me as my paypal account ws supposedly unverified...but only for them. I had used this account email since 2003 with ebay and paypal. And then it took another two weeks (till today) to get it after I went through the hoops they wanted. I'll let you know in another couple of weeks. :-)

dee shops Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> True, Emdisco. I don't disagree. But why should
> they have to start at slave wages? Why not put a
> fair price to begin with. Why take advantage of
> the desperation of people just trying to eat or
> pay rent?


Dee,
I'm as desperate as anyone on this board. I will not let me temporary situation dictate my long term prospects. If I have to take a low paying job to get by, then I'll do it. I know that for the long haul, I am not going to make it doing that. I have no ill will towards the company that offers those jobs, just a detemination to be in a position that I don't have to to take them. To me the real problem is whether Mystery Shopping is a growth industry or not. If it is then grow with it and if it is not start looking for the next one.

I would not consider MS'ing a "growth industry" in general, Emdisco. Perhaps if you start and get good at video shopping you could catch the little bit of growth happening in that segment. The rest is barely hanging on. Even over the long term, I think the industry will be changed forever by this recession.

I did some MSing back in the 1960s. At that time the evaluations were most frequently door-to-door customer interviews, telephone surveys and visiting retailers to see that they were providing the exposure that manufacturers were paying for. Returning to shopping, it has changed substantially. With no call lists there is very little telephone survey work to individuals, contact with customers is the occasional 'exit interview' and primarily evaluations are of customer service/cleanliness/timeliness.

As Dee points out, there appears to be growth in video shopping. My expectation is that a that expands the fees are likely to deteriorate as relatively little appears to be required of the shopper beyond body placement to get the shot and properly handling the equipment.

I also think Dee is right that what is happening with the economy will indeed change shopping. I suspect clients have already evaluated the value of shops and found them not of enough importance to continue. This, of course, seems contrary to logic as a down economy is when it is even more important for clients to get customers in the door and keep them happy. Clients may be discovering that it is not the smile, eye contact and pleasant acknowledgment that brings customers back. When the snake oil salesman persuades them that what brings customers back is a new set of criteria, the shops are likely to evolve in that direction.

I was offered multiple gas station assignments yesterday ("Preassigned) for $0.00 (that is not a typo; zero dollars and zero cents) with two $1 reimbursements ($1 for gas and $1 inside). Sometime today they went up to $3 each. Even if I am driving by one of them, that is not enough. I did one today which was nicely bonused. The lowest priced indoor purchase was $1.75 so I lost $0.75 there. And while I did get $1.00 of free gasoline, it was $0.25 per gallon more than the next station down the street. It was non-compliant meaning extra pictures, each of which has to be resized. The same station is offered at $3 for February.

Again. Don't do it. Lets sit tight until they go up...

They just dropped another client from $5 to $4. Suggest they sit on their blue light specials...:p

mrcomputer101 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They just dropped another client from $5 to $4.
> Suggest they sit on their blue light specials...:p

Ugh, they lowered the blue lights?

In my area the new gas stations have gone up 75 cents though.

Following up on my unreimbursed tip with CoRI, I heard back with, "We do not reimburse for the tip. We have to go by the amount shown on the receipt."

Perhaps they could have mentioned that in the training I was required to go through regarding this shop.

Be warned that this MSC will not only offer the shop with no fee, but you are supposed to cover the tip yourself as well!

My fault for going back to a company that I swore off years ago, I guess.

SteveSoCal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Following up on my unreimbursed tip with CoRI, I
> heard back with, "We do not reimburse for the tip.
> We have to go by the amount shown on the
> receipt."
>
> Perhaps they could have mentioned that in the
> training I was required to go through regarding
> this shop.
>
> Be warned that this MSC will not only offer the
> shop with no fee, but you are supposed to cover
> the tip yourself as well!
>
> My fault for going back to a company that I swore
> off years ago, I guess.


Argh!

It is really amazing reading some of these posts and some of the other posts about others companies that pay about the same and take up to 90 days to pay you. Some of you have got a problem with CoRI that will never be resolved. I just wish more of you were in my neck of the woods; then I could get an even grteater share of these shops when the y went up and get paid for them in 2 weeks instead of 2 to 3 months. God bless you all, but aside from any personal issue that you have experienced from this company which would leave anyone with a sour taste in their mouth, I just don't see the problems with this company. They got a mangled pizza shop for $30 + reimbursement just up today. Now this beats the $3-$4 shops all month. Someone will do this shop and still have time to do all those high paying 60-90 day paying shops, get paid and do some more next month before and get paid before you receive one dime from all of these other glorius companies out here. I am still a newbie, but I count real good. More pay + less jobs + faster paydays = more money. You figure any way you want. I think that my math is right.

Emdisco, that was sort of a point I was trying to make earlier. I am not saying that $3 is not low, it is very low. But they are not the only ones. There is one company I have in mind that pays $5 plus reimbursement. The reimbursement does not fully cover the required purchase. For this shop they require you to be in the store for 45 minutes and the report has four sections of detailed narrative. Then after that you don't get paid for 90 days. IMO this company is far worse/cheaper than CoRI, but I rarely see anyone complain about it.

lisams901 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Emdisco, that was sort of a point I was trying to
> make earlier. I am not saying that $3 is not low,
> it is very low. But they are not the only ones.
> There is one company I have in mind that pays $5
> plus reimbursement. The reimbursement does not
> fully cover the required purchase. For this shop
> they require you to be in the store for 45 minutes
> and the report has four sections of detailed
> narrative. Then after that you don't get paid for
> 90 days. IMO this company is far worse/cheaper
> than CoRI, but I rarely see anyone complain about
> it.

That is one shop I would stay far away from! Maybe no one is seeing that one. I know I haven't.

Emdisco, If you got a pizza for $30 (and more power to you), you got it by holding out, or someone flaking. They do not start jobs at those kind of fees. The point is not how fast CoRI pays-they pay extremely quickly. But they nickle and dime shops at the beginning of the month, and they nickle and dime shoppers by things like charging for using paypal. The point is that they do not need to do that; they could start shops at better rates. If you are happy with them, you are happy with them. That does not mean that everyone needs to, or does, feel the same as you do. Some of us are trying to advocate for better treatment and more respect for shoppers-that means paying a living wage from the get go. Me? I won't take anything that is below what I want to make. It doesn't mean I won't fight for them to pay more fairly for all shoppers acorss the board, not just those who live in areas they couldn't get shops done.